Tin Boat, Cast Ingot Money – c. 1400 to 1800 CE – Indonesia & Malaysia Buy Cheap Looking For

Includes glass top display box.

• Origin: Southeast Asia, present day Indonesia and Malaysia
• Material: Cast tin and lead

Decorative tin ingots and rings were once traded as money by the various maritime empires and sultanates of Indonesia and Malaysia. Many were highly intricate and fashioned in the shape of animals, such as fish, roosters, elephants, turtles, monkeys, and more. Others could be more abstract, such as “boat” money. This form of ingot featured a distinctive crescent shape, with a central pillar reminiscent of a person rowing a canoe.

Lateral holes on many of these ingots suggest that they were meant to be strung, possibly to be worn as charms or simply to make them more portable.

All purchases include a Certificate of Authenticity. You will receive the exact item in this photo, along with a glass top leatherette display box.